Natural City (2003)
In a futuristic Korean city, R (Yoo Ji-tae), a soldier tasked with eliminating rogue cyborgs, falls in love with Ria, a female android nearing her expiration date. As he seeks a way to transfer her consciousness into a human body, he must choose between duty and desire. Directed by Min Byung-chun, Natural City is heavily inspired by Blade Runner, both thematically and visually. The film mixes noir-style tragedy with cybernetic existentialism, presenting a decaying future where love, memory, and identity blur between human and machine.
Nemesis (1992)
In a war-torn future where humans and cyborgs are in constant conflict, LAPD agent Alex Rain (Olivier Gruner) is forced out of retirement to stop a terrorist plan involving a data theft that could alter the balance of power between man and machine. Directed by Albert Pyun, Nemesis is a low-budget but stylish cyberpunk action film that became a cult hit. Known for its practical effects, gritty setting, and heavy use of cybernetic characters, it’s often praised for its ambition and blend of gunfights, philosophy, and machine anxiety.
New Rose Hotel (1998)
Two corporate operatives, Fox (Christopher Walken) and X (Willem Dafoe), are hired to lure a brilliant geneticist away from a powerful megacorporation. They enlist the help of Sandii (Asia Argento), a mysterious woman who becomes the key to both the job — and their downfall. Directed by Abel Ferrara and based on the short story by William Gibson, New Rose Hotel explores themes of betrayal, corporate espionage, and emotional alienation. Its minimalistic style and abstract narrative divide audiences, but its mood and subject matter are unmistakably cyberpunk.
Nirvana (1997)
Jimi (Christopher Lambert), a video game designer in a dystopian city, discovers that the protagonist of his latest game has become self-aware. As the AI begs for release, Jimi embarks on a journey through a decaying society to erase the game before it is distributed. Directed by Gabriele Salvatores, Nirvana blends philosophical questions with gritty cyberpunk visuals and post-industrial melancholy. Though lesser-known outside Europe, it’s praised for its existential tone and its bold portrayal of digital consciousness and emotional disconnection.